1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of separator apparatuses. More particularly, the invention pertains to an apparatus that can function as a filter unit as a precipitator or as a separator of materials that have different electrical properties.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,028 discloses an electrostatic sieve having parallel sieve electrodes that are either vertical or inclined. The particles are normally introduced into the electric sieve under the control of a feeder that is placed directly in front of the opposing screen electrode. The powder is attracted directly from the feeder tray to the opposing screen electrode by induced electric field that exists between the tray and the screen electrode. This system is a static air system.
Prior art precipitators have difficulty collecting highly conductive and very poorly conductive particulates.
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing particles from an air stream. The electrical type separator apparatus preferably includes multiple parallel grids, enclosed in a sealed compartment so that the entrained air flows parallel and between one or more centrally located grids. A direct current high voltage field is established between the grids with the polarities alternating between facing grids. The system is preferably used on conductive and semi-conductive materials because the particles receive an induced charge with ease. The charged particles are separated and collected when they are attracted toward the relatively open wire or woven grids and pass laterally through and onto the next attracting grid until they are out of the air stream and generally fall by gravity into the collection vessel. When processing non-conductive particles, either internal corona charging or preferably external methods of pre-charging by corona discharge are used.